Classical

The Classical period of Western academic music is usually accepted to range from around 1750 to the late 1810's. It followed from the Baroque period and was in turn succeeded by the Romantic era. Music became generally lighter in terms of textural density, emphasizing elegance in place of the Baroque's serious and dramatic delivery. This resulted in a clearer tonal structure emerging from compositions. Though the style became arguably less passionate, the use of contrast became more pronounced than before. Instrumental music gained importance, and the orchestra grew in size and consolidated, approximating its modern form. The harpsichord was eventually replaced by the pianoforte, and many solo and chamber genres emerged, of which the sonata developed the most. In general terms, the Classical period can be defined as the time when most of the modern musical concepts consolidated. The best known composers from this period are Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert; other notable names include Muzio Clementi, Antonio Salieri, Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and Christoph Willibald Gluck. Beethoven, and sometimes Schubert, have been traditionally regarded as transitional figures between the Classical and Romantic periods. The term 'classical music' is often used colloquially to define all Western academic music.